Lock and Key
by AvidAuthor
Summary: Most of the time, all it takes to open a heart is the key. But sometimes, a little love helps too. AU, oneshot
"Markl, pack up your things." The boy looked, up his eyes tired.

"Another appointment?" He asked with a sigh. Howl smiled and put a long finger on Markl's nose.

"Yes," he said with a smile. "Only this time, we're going to the castle." Markl jumped up.

"The castle?" He cried, eyes sparkling with wonder. "But Howl, I thought you didn't like the royal family!" Howl smiled and patted his head.

"Well, you shouldn't say such things Markl," he said gently. "But their request has intrigued me." Markl blinked. Howl was not easily intrigued.

"Who's the patient?" He asked eagerly. Howl looked up at the sky.

"The prince's fiancée."

* * *

Every day was the same. She woke up, she ate, she washed, and then she went back to sleep. They wouldn't even let her read, in case it upset her heart. Her heart.

Sophie sighed and put her hand on her chest. For as long as she could remember, her heart had been weak. But ever since the prince had chanced upon her visiting her sister and had chosen her as his wife, it had grown steadily weaker.

Justin walked into the room. He smiled, and kissed her cheek. Sophie tried to smile back at him. She really did. But she didn't love him.

* * *

Howl swept into the castle with his usual flair, his signature handsomeness getting its usual oohs and ahhs. Markl walked behind him, lugging the heavy medicine bag. Not that they needed it, it was really just for show. But then, most of their patients weren't really all that sick. As Howl always said, most illness was in the mind. But as Markl took in the woman lying in the bed however, he found it hard to believe.

They had been let in by Prince Justin himself. To people who didn't know him, Howl would have seemed just as confident as he always was. But Markl had been with him for a while, and he could tell the wizard was nervous being in the castle.

Markl followed howl up to the woman's bed, and took in her strange silver hair. He had heard whispers that she was plain; not fitting for a prince, but her hair looked just like-

"-Starlight," Howl said. Markl realized he had drifted away, and missed the first half of the conversation. Obviously, Howl liked her. Then again, Howl liked a lot of woman, and the occasional man as well. But most of them weren't the fiancée of the prince. Howl leaned forward.

"What's your name?" He asked.

* * *

Sophie stared at the man nervously. People didn't come to see her very often, and it was always a jarring experience when they did.

"She can't speak. Her name is Sophie." That was Justin talking. But he wasn't telling the truth. She had been able to speak some time ago. But now, when she attempted to thank a maid for bringing in her meal or something of the like, there would be nothing but silence.

The man looked deep into her eyes, his own shining like a child's.

"My name is Howl, Sophie." He said. He had a nice, gentle voice. "I'm going to help you." She blinked. His hand was on her right shoulder. No, if that hand strayed too far down her arm, it would find- Like he could read her mind, his hand slid down her arm. She pulled away, wincing as the wound smarted. Howl seemed to notice her distress.

"May I roll up your sleeve?" He asked, so quietly even Justin could not hear. Sophie screwed her eyes shut, and Howl must have taken this as a yes, because her sleeve was soon rolled up, and her wound revealed. She opened an eye to see him staring at her with something that might have been sadness. Then he turned to Justin.

"I will stay here tonight," Howl said. Perhaps it was his confidence, or maybe the vague warning in his tone, but the prince could only say yes.

* * *

Charlie had had too much to drink again. _It was too easy to get drunk_ , he thought. He wobbled down the hallway, and as quietly as he could, opened the girl's door.

Sophie was fun to play with. She couldn't scream, and she was too weak to fight back when Charlie felt like kissing something. He didn't do much more; he couldn't risk the doctors finding out. But he'd made a mistake last night.

He'd been really drunk, and she had bit him. Well, he had hit her real hard on the arm. Luckily, he hadn't been executed, so he assumed no one had found out, he approached her bed, her silver hair reflecting the moonlight very prettily.

He crept up to the bed, and was just about to grab her butt when he noticed the arm across her middle. He looked into the eyes of a blonde man. The girl was having an affair?

He stumbled back, but the man was out of the bed in a heartbeat, Sophie hiding behind him. The man sat on His back till the guards came, Charlie swearing every word under the sun.

* * *

Markl noticed a difference immediately. Sophie seemed to have less weight on her shoulders. She didn't have any bruises spearing seemingly out of nowhere. That morning, the sun shining through the window, Howl knelt by her bed.

Prince Justin stood by, chewing his fingernails nervously. Markl thought that was unbefitting of a prince, but he ignored the man and instead focused on Howl.

"I'm going to do a spell," the wizard said gently. "I'm going to see what's wrong with your heart." Sophie sat there silently, a nod her only answer. Howl closed his eyes. His hand started to glow, and he reached into her chest. Sophie gasped and looked up tears coming from her eyes.

Justin tried to intervene, but Markl leapt in front of him.

Howl pulled out a locket. He stared at it quizzically. Markl stared. Usually, it was a key. The key to your heart. Cliché, right? Well, all clichés start somewhere. They all watched with bated breath as Howl opened the locket. Inside was a painting of bloody hands. This sight seemed to be too much for Sophie, and she fainted. Howl and Markl were shooed out.

"Howl," Markl said softly, tugging on his sleeve. "What does it mean?" Howl took a deep breath and closed the locket.

"I have seen this before," He said quietly. He turned to Markl with a distressed look in his eyes. "Sophie has killed someone."

* * *

Howl was worried. He was not worried very often. He believed in living a carefree life, free of anxiety and full of joy. But he was worried. Sophie certainly didn't look like a murderer. But murderers never do. He found himself standing in front of a bakery. Markl liked pastries. Howl had left the boy with Sophie to keep her company, and he felt a bit guilty leaving him behind.

He stepped into the door, a blast of sweet scented air hitting his face. He was surveying the selection and ignoring the twittering of the woman when he looked up into a face that reminded him of Sophie. She wore more makeup then she needed, and her red hair was tied back in relaxed bun. It hit him that this must have been her sister.

"Do you know Sophie?" He asked carefully. She spun around her eyes wild. "How do you know my big sister?" she said suspiciously. Her eyes widened then. "Are you from the castle? Has something happened to her? Is she hurt?" Howl tried to calm her down.

"No," he said, glancing around at the people staring them. "I'm trying to help her heart, but can you tell me why she isn't talking?" The woman stopped then, her face falling.

"Let's talk in the back."

* * *

"My name is Lettie," she said, shaking hands with him.

"Howl," he said. She sat back on the crates.

"I had a lover," she said softly. "He was great. How I adored him." Howl stayed silent as she took a deep breath.

"He started hurting me," she whispered. "Usually when he got drunk, but sometimes, he could be completely sober." She wiped her eyes on her apron.

"I always used to visit Sophie on Sunday, her heart is weak, as you know," she said, not bothering to wipe her tears away now. "But John had had too much to drink again that day. And he came, and he pinned me down, and he had a knife..." She took a deep breath.

"I was so scared. But then, I saw his eyes go wide, and he fell on top of me. I squirmed free, and," her voice shook. "There was my big sister. Sophie had put a knife through his heart. She hasn't spoken since." Howl felt the locket burn in his pocket, and he reached in to feel a key. He handed Lettie a handkerchief. She thanked him, and then looked him in the eyes.

"Please help my sister," she sobbed. He leaned forward, embracing her.

"I will," he promised.

* * *

Howl sat on her bed, the golden key in his hand. Sophie watched him with dull eyes. Howl reached forward, his hand going through her chest once more. This time, instead of crying, Sophie gasped and smiled. Howl pulled his hand out, and Sophie leaned forward.

"I love you!" She cried.

Sophie was not an impulsive girl. She thought things through. But she couldn't help but say those three words. Howl hugged her, and she saw Prince Justin smile sadly, then nod and leave the room. Sophie did cry then, but these were happy tears.

* * *

Markl watched as Sophie ran to her sister with all the happiness in the world. They cried and cried, then giggled when Sophie showed her ring. Howl stood back, a gentle smile on his face. Sophie sat down with Markl, and Lettie took this opportunity to talk to her sister's fiancé.

"If I find out that you hurt her, I'll kill you," she said, dead serious. "Trust me," Howl laughed, then patted her on the head.

"Don't worry," he said softly. "I plan to love her."


End file.
